The losses from the front attack on the Missigit suffered, for months caution for the further attack on the Kraton, and so a kind of organised siege began against it and the minors had to make trenches for the first time.
They didn’t have much succes with the organised siege, so they finally decided to make a move around the enemy’s bastion. Against this in the East Indian wars tested method even the Atjeh people were not able to resist and on the 24th of January the Kraton fell in our hands.
From now on the engineer’s workmen marched daily from Penajoeng to the Kraton to build this into a more permanent fortress.
The day after taking this in possession Pey and I went on a loot to see if we could find something useful for us in the buildings of the Sultan; we only picked up a porcelain souptureen and a large copper cooking kettle. P. took the first one and I used the kettle as a bathtub in our lodging in Penajoeng, from where it went later on back with us to the Kraton.
I have to remember the death of our sub chief Nolthenius, who died of cholera at the camp, although a meany, he was a brave officer who did render a good service.
During this time we received a nice rise in our wages, I thought it a good idea to raise the delegation of 40 guilders to my parents to 55 guilders a month. My parents, who had looked after my debt payments in Holland and who had moved to a cheaper neighbourhood ( lane ), would get a bit more freedom and it has been a pleasure to keep sending the delegation till my leave.
Slowly the end of the second expedition was approaching. Awaiting that we built a more permanent reinforcement in Penajoeng and all of us who had to stay behind had to move to the Kraton. I didn’t think I would be considered to the people staying behind because I was the only engineer officer who had been in the two expeditions. Still, the great v.Zuylen decided differently and this was with hindsight not in my disadvantage.
In the Kraton I was allowed to build a barrack with a palm leaf thatch roof on the so called Hill, a grave mound surrounded by walls, where we could almost completely be safe agains the enemy’s rifle fire and I knew how to organise I could build a room on for my friend Pey, who would not return to Java either.
It was the 26th April when the last troops and the commander in chief with his staff destined for the return embarked.
The previous day General v. Swieten held a farewell speech on the general’s square for the officers staying behind.
I still see the brave and grey General standing there, whilst he held out hope that although the resistance had not been completely nipped in the bud, the population would soon see though that our administration would be good for her. Little did the optimistic man suspect that still half a century would pass before a reconcillidated situation would set in.
As successor of the chief of the expedition Engineers was appointed: the already to major promoted Captain Leers, who received the title of first present engineer’s officer of Atjeh and Dependency. So I got my chief of the first expedition back, but what change! Was he the same grumbling man; he started to call all the engineer officers together and under the pleasure of a glas of champagne he asked us our cooperation and was in one word most amiable.
For the chief of the Artillery, major v. Zijll de Jong and himself he had a barrack build on the already mentioned Hill, just opposite the abode of Pey and me, which was not so pleasant for us.
So after a few weeks a small conflict emerged; major v.Z.d.J. had bought a dozen chickens for his household and these birds were sometimes walking around loose and bothered us too. As a joke Pey and I had caught some of these chickens and intoxicated them in the wellknown way and had put them on a bench which stood in front of the major’s barrack; from our hut we saw how the major got a fright when he saw this stage; soon he noticed that we had played a joke on him and the result was that we had to leave the Hill. Major Leers had put for us both a good sized barrack with side buildings up, not far from Kroeng-Dahroe where we were settled very well.
From the above it is obvious that the Achinese didn’t think to surrender, on the contrary, just as Gen.v.Sw. had left, the Achinese came in great numbers from the East and South to the Kraton and were shooting so fiercely at us that it was decided to pull out and the first post outside the Kraton was established namely the so called East fortification; at this occasion the later chief of my arms, A. Staal distinguished himself and earned therefore the Willemsorde.
The defensive gained so much that more retreat parties were neccessary and they had to telegraph to Java to get more troops for artillery, especially since the sending back of the backload cannons, who had been taken along by Gen.v.Sw. in his optimism.
The bad monsoon had meanwhile started and the communication of ships in the streets with the shore was very difficult because of the strong surf. This was forseen and that’s why the material for a wooden pier had been taken along, whilst the iron works for a head on screwposts had been ordered in Europe in time.
To be able to make do temporarily, the captains of the mail steamers had made a small bamboo pier, while I had been given the order to start as soon as polissble with the wooden pier. Already some of the yolks of that loading head were finished when the Koningin Sophie came in the streets, on board of which the ironworks of the permanent loading head were loaded and I got the order to unload these with the floating rafts. At the same time captain of the Dutch Army Borel got the order to pick up the backload cannons, which were also on board.
Upon arrival in Oleh-leh we both stood on the low lying dunes on the beach; the weather was quite rough and we saw how the Navy’s raft capsised in the surf and a sailor was nearly drowning. The captain didn’t think it was safe under these circumstances to go aboard and returned to the Kraton without accomplishing the task;
I stayed however at the place and deliberated with a crewsman of the Navy if there would still be a good chance to get aboard an anchored warship lying closeby; the man replied confirmative and offered me his guide; not long after we took off and luckily got through the surf, however both saturated from splashing seawater.
Aboard the warship a steam barque was available for me to get a floating raft from another warship, which was anchored in front of the Koeala-Atjeh and behind which the rafts were anchored; this happened quite quickly and soon we were lying along the side of the Koningin Sophie.
The commander of this ship, Mr. de Jongh told me, that the long iron screw poles couldn’t be unloaded, because the backload cannons were lying on top of them.
After some deliberation we decided that we would load the cannons on the raft without Mr. Borel.
We did as we said, the pieces were properly tied with ropes by the sailors of the steamer and when in the afternoon everything was ready, I went on the raft and was towed ashore by a steam barque. Close to the surf the raft was anchored, then with a raft a line pulled to the shore and the anchorchain of the raft slowly veering with this line pulled ashore. There stood captain Borel to whom I gracefully handed over the cannons, which he should have fetched himself.
Since then the work in Oleh-leh slowly expanded and major Leers had mentioned to me to count on getting placed there permanently. However, I had to make yet another excursion, namely to Koesapie.
The occupation of this point was neccessry to prevent the enemy to push on to Koeala-Atjeh; our journey started at the mouth of the river and along the beach we reached the point to occupy in a relatively short time.
On a landingspoint in the Lagoon, which was seperated from the mainland by a wide waterpool our fortification would be erected and in the beginning everything went well sothat soon already coverage from the enemy side could be organised.
Soon a mass of folk gathered on the other side of the waterpool and started to shoot at us; the shots were as always far too high and only an indigenous minor was hit near me; he felt at the hit spot and called out triumphantly: “Panas sadja”, ( it is only warm ).
The cross beams of most of the barracks were quickly fixed, but the workmen didn’t dare to start on the roof due to the danger then to be hit; a few enemies especially who had climbed in the coconut trees made it difficult for us by their plunging fire.
With the aid of a pentameter, which I had with me, I determined the right distance to one of the coconut trees, placed a gun in between some sandbags and fired to the top of the tree. The result was that a buggar fell out of the tree and most likely died making us all who saw it happy. So much is certain that the shooting of the enemy lessened also through our consisting salvos and the work could further be continued.
( For a long time the just used word Sloeber has been used by the troops as indication of an Achinese; however from high quarters it was soon forbidden.)
After this excursion I stayed another few weeks in the Kraton and was just like the present Captain v. Oirschot charged with different kind of jobs; we discussed these daily before the commencement of our work and had come to the conclusion, that all the time our brave major Leers made a decision opposite what we suggested. We then took this characteristic into account and in this way we always got it our way.
In Oleh-leh they gave me a lot of work: the wooden loading head had to be finished, the building of the iron one had to be prepaired, storage sheds and barracks and a bridge over the lagoon had to be built.
With this last job I was unfortunate to fall through a scaffolding and hurt my righthand index finger; I put a simple rag around it and further didn’t take any notice of it. The finger has since remained partly stiff; something seems to have been broken inside.
The old man Polkijn whom I told this accident said: What are jou doing then on a bridge where oil lies?
My work in Oleh-leh lasted until the end of August 1874 to which were still added the neccessary measurements and level taking for a railway to the Kraton. I worked in the most pleasant way under my former so grumbly major, who was so satisfied of me, that he nominated me for a Royal reward.
However, the uncles in Batavia thought I was still too young for that and sometime later I was being sent about my business with a satisfactory commendation by the Army commander. This piece of state document I sent to my parents sounded:
Your chiefs report particularly favourable about you;
I testify you my high satisfaction regarding this.
At the end of August I was transferred to Soerabaja and so the chief of the Army had thought about my request upon arrival in the Dutch East Indies.
On the first of September I commenced the journey via Batavia, arrived there on the 8th following and of course had to report with the colonel Egter v. Wissekerke, I was quite surprised to learn that for my good services in Atjeh he had withdrawn the transfer to Soerabaja and he had nominated me as deputy of the 1st ( technical ) office of the IV department of the Department of War as a reward for my good services in Atjeh. This would surely be in favour of my further career.
However I believe that the main reason for holding me there exsisted because my collegue Hoffmann did not satisfy as deputy; he could not get along with his chief Capt. Broedelet.
So I had returned to my old garison and for the time being I moved in with Kuyl again in our old house D.No 24 at the Waterlooplein.
After my moving life in Atjeh my new job was very strange to me; daily from 8 to 2 I had to sit behind the writing desk in a small room next to the office of Capt. Br. and I had no opportunity to pace up and down like before with Kees v. Goene.
Still, you get used to everything and I could get along fine with Capt. Br; he was an able and accommodating man, from whom I learned a lot, mainly that what you should not write.
footnote:
Polkijn later on was J.G.K’s father in law.
In his Dutch accent op een brug waar olie lee sounded like Oleh-leh.
My friend Pey had been transferred to Tjilatjap about the same time as I and stayed with me on his way through.
Kuyl had been looking after our stuff wilst we stayed in Atjeh and we wanted to honour him a suitable souvenir; our choice fell on a marmer pendulum at the large bazar at Molenvliet which he had discovered, this store was known for it’s fixed prices; despite that Pey knew to higgle 20 guilders off the 65, which was asked for the pendulum, something which I would never have been able to do.
A pity that I could not share a house with him anymore; he was such a perfect financier and household manager and with it he was neat to the extreme, he even tidied up mu room every now and then, which I took as my due.
After his departure to Tjilatjap I have not seen him again, although we kept corresponding with each other He earned as the only pharmacist in Tj. good money ( in those days one paid 10 cents for 1 quinine pill, though since he didn’t like a re-examination for a higher rank, he handed in his resignation after 5 years in the service and left to Europe, where he got a job at a chemical factory in Brussels.
My life in Batavia was logically rather regular; at 2 o’clock the officework was finished and then I was fee; just like Kuyl I was besides a member of Concordia also had become a member of the Harmonie and we often went there together in the afternoon to play pool agains the Britisch, who usually played for a high rate. Towards midnight we got home, each with 75 guilders in our purse and the next day we gave a party for our mates.
We also enjoyed the French Opera under direction of the wellknown v. Kinsbergen a lot, which was cheap for us officers; the troupe was very good, especially the bass de Greeff; later I have never heard or seen a better Mephisto.
With all this I didn’t neglect my aquaintences from before; so I usually was present on invitations of families de Pauly and Kinderen and also visited the families Botel and v. Davelaar.
With the first family we made a lot of music; Borel and his brother, the man of the backload cannons, were both excellent pianists and I enjoyed their play and also had the opportunity to play a duet with one of them, which was a good excercise for me.
I went with pleasure to v. Davelaar, not only because of the company of the young people ( 2 sons and 2 daughters ), but mainly because I found the liberal clergyman a comfortable raconteur with whom I could sit and chat for hours under the enjoyment of a cold brandy-soda.
The eldest son William was engaged to a daughter of the rich Egbert Hofland, who with his brother John was owner of the Pamanoekan and Tjiasem estates. The wedding was going to take place in those days and I was invited to act as witness for the young Mr. v.D.
I made the trip with the old folk v.D. by travelcarriage to Soebang, the seat of the brothers Hofland. On that trip I saw for the first and last time a panther ( matjang toetoel ) going in the wild, who parallel with our travelcarriage ran forth through the high grass. The horses indeed were a bit skittish, still they ran on as fast as they could and the panther didn’t do us any harm.
The wealth in Soebang was amazing; the brothers lived each in a large villa, about 50 meters apart. The main building of Egbert’s residence consisted of a large front inner and back veranda, against which left and right wings were attached. Each contained 6 roms with a joined wide veranda; 5 of these rooms in each wing were furnished for the different guests, the ladies left and the gentlemen right.
The festivities and dinner parties were not for the fainthearted and I have never sat at such a luxurious rijsttafel as there.
Under the guest was also Marie v.’t Hof, the governess of the family de Pauly; this old maid encouraged the young ladies to pull off a joke on the young men; the pyamapants of all these young men were sewn together at the bottom, and of course it caused a great spectacle.
That night in the lady’s wing a fright was caused because a snake had crept into one of the bedrooms. The next morning we took Mrs. Hofland by the arm and we got permission to also pull a trick on Marie v.’t Hof.
A towel was twisted stiffly around with a velvet ribbon around it in such a way that it looked the shape of a snake; a head was magically put on and the whole thing put under the pillow of the known governess; she got a huge fright when she discovered the monster and since then was more waspish than ever.
On the day of the wedding surely as mucht splendour as one could imagine was on show; the civil servant of the registar’s office was picked up from his workplace Krawang, the villas and the nearby sugar factories splendidly decorated and the bridal dinner was royal in one word.
However one would nowadays call the whole affair a war profiteer like business; like brother John arriving in a beautiful landau drawn by four purebred horses, all four completely white, with which means of transport the young couple later on was taken to Krawang.
From all that wealth of the Hoffland’s not much remained; the widow of Davelaar nowadays lives of a meagre income.
In the beginning of the year 1875 I was appointed a house in the comedy area; Kuyl who was able to lease his house on the Waterlooplein moved in with me in the better home, in which after a while also Stokheker was taken in; the three of us shared the household sothat we got by well.
I had a screened off small room and after rijsttafel was always bothered by a turkey, which belonged to our neighbour Stutterheim and was chuckling all the time during my siesta.
Although in vain we had asked Stutterheim repeatedly to clip his wings so it would not fly over the fence anymore; in the end we threatened to wring it’s neck and finally this really happened.
The dead bird was taken to the baker, was nicely roasted and in the evening arrived at our table, to which we had invited Stutterheim as a guest.
In the beginning S. was a little disturbed and drawn back, but after a few glasses of fine wine the atmosphere improved and for the rest we had a pleasant evening.
At the start of the 2nd expedition to Atjeh the Corps Minors and Sappeurs was established and caused a great shortage of officers; the promotion for the younger ones therefore was hastened and on the 14th of May ’75 my collegue J. Staal was promoted to Captain. With this he passed Kloesmeyer who was ranked above him.
So I was hoping that soon I would be so lucky too.
Two months later Hoffmann was nominated to Captain, but now the Army administration refused to react to that, because the less brilliant judgement of H. didn’t give him claim to pass an older collegue; besides it was now decided that for a promotion to captain or cavalry captain a service as Ltnt. of at least 8 years would be neccessary; just like H. I also missed out.
Meanwhile on the 2nd April Colonel Ermeling was acting as Chief of the arms of the Engineers and one of his first suggestions was to make an inspection journey to Atjeh, which would be undertaken in August. His adjutant Marcella however earlier on had fallen ill and consequently I was appointed as replacement adjutant and the boss left with me on 20th July ’75; I cannot remember how we made that journey; I only still see him climbing up along the iron loading cannon, where he was complimented by a commander of Oleh-leh, a tall and skinny man with a pair of eyes which one could never see, because his eyelids, called trapdoors by us, were always closed.
With this major Jaquier de Lompret the equally tall colonel Ermeling went straight away on inpection along the coast; with their long legs they set off immediately in a quick pace, sothat it was impossible to keep up with them; so I left them alone and only saw them back 1.5 hours later.
The Colonel’s commission lasted till 15 August, during which time I kept him company on all his trips on horseback and apart from that he kept me working hard.
On the way home we each got a cabin with 7 sleeping places aboard the SS. William MacKinnon.
The Colonel had taken care of a 5 year old son of a military superviser, who had lost his mother and this child slept in one sleeping place next tot the colonel; it was too hot for me in the cabin and Itherefor I spent the nights on deck.
One morning I came into my cabine and found the boss swearing, which normally wasn’t his habit; what had happened?
The little boy had to go to the toilet early in the morning and didn’t want to wake the sleeeping colonel; he simply did his business in the colonel’s patent shoe and when he wanted to dress himself he had slipped in it with his foot.